RADEON 9800 XT
VS
GeForce FX 5950 Ultra

RADEON 9800 XT vs GeForce FX 5950 Ultra

AMD

RADEON 9800 XT

2022Core: 1387 MHzBoost: 2394 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce FX 5950 Ultra

2011Core: 900 MHz

Performance Spectrum - GPU

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. The RADEON 9800 XT is positioned at rank #374 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar RADEON 9800 XT

#1
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
MSRP: $399|Avg: $280
65945%
#2
GeForce RTX 5060
MSRP: $299|Avg: $299
63355%
#3
Radeon RX 5600 XT
MSRP: $279|Avg: $180
62618%
#4
Radeon RX 9060
MSRP: $249|Avg: $249
62509%
#5
GeForce RTX 5050
MSRP: $249|Avg: $249
62382%
#6
GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
MSRP: $249|Avg: $150
62027%
#7
Arc A580
MSRP: $179|Avg: $179
61245%
#8
Radeon RX 9060 XT
MSRP: $299|Avg: $299
61018%
#9
Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB
MSRP: $299|Avg: $299
60455%
#10
Radeon RX 7600
MSRP: $269|Avg: $250
60291%
#11
Radeon RX 6600
MSRP: $329|Avg: $180
59564%
#12
GeForce RTX 4060
MSRP: $299|Avg: $299
59436%
#13
Arc B570
MSRP: $219|Avg: $219
58364%
#14
Arc B580
MSRP: $249|Avg: $249
58327%
#359
Radeon R5 430 OEM
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $13
72727%
#374
RADEON 9800 XT
MSRP: $499|Avg: $30
100%
#375
GeForce FX 5200
MSRP: $70|Avg: $25
100%
#376
GeForce PCX 5300
MSRP: $60|Avg: $15
91%
#377
GeForce FX 5900
MSRP: $399|Avg: $20
82%
#378
GeForce FX 5600 Ultra
MSRP: $199|Avg: $20
82%
#379
GeForce FX 5100
MSRP: $100|Avg: $10
73%
#380
GeForce FX 5600
MSRP: $200|Avg: $10
64%
#381
GeForce FX 5600XT
MSRP: $129|Avg: $10
64%
#382
GeForce3 Ti 200
MSRP: $149|Avg: $49
27%
#383
GeForce4 Ti 4200
MSRP: $199|Avg: $5
27%
#384
GeForce4 MX 460
MSRP: $179|Avg: $15
18%
#385
GeForce4 Ti 4400
MSRP: $299|Avg: $49
18%
#386
GeForce4 Ti 4800 SE
MSRP: $299|Avg: $30
18%
#387
GeForce4 Ti 4600
MSRP: $399|Avg: $40
18%
#388
GeForce4 Ti 4800
MSRP: $399|Avg: $40
18%
#389
RADEON 7500
MSRP: $199|Avg: $50
18%
Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The RADEON 9800 XT is significantly newer (2022 vs 2011). The RADEON 9800 XT likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 3.5% higher G3D Mark score. This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the RADEON 9800 XT.

InsightRADEON 9800 XTGeForce FX 5950 Ultra
Performance
Lower raw frame rates (-3.5%)
Leading raw performance (+3.5%)
Longevity
RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) (5nm)
🛑Obsolete Architecture (2011 / Fermi 2.0 (2010−2014))
Ecosystem
Supports FSR Upscaling
Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM
❌ Less VRAM capacity
✅ More VRAM (+0%)
Efficiency
⚡ Higher Power Consumption
💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit
📏 Compact / SFF Friendly
📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 Value Proposition

While current pricing data is unavailable, the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.

Performance Check

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of RADEON 9800 XT and GeForce FX 5950 Ultra

AMD

RADEON 9800 XT

The RADEON 9800 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 3 2022. It features the RDNA 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1387 MHz to 2394 MHz. It has 5376 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 84 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 57 points. Launch price was $899.

NVIDIA

GeForce FX 5950 Ultra

The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 15 2011. It features the Rankine architecture. The core clock speed is 900 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 116W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 59 points. Launch price was $149.

Graphics Performance

The RADEON 9800 XT scores 57 and the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra reaches 59 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The RADEON 9800 XT is built on RDNA 3.0 while the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra uses Rankine, both on 5 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 5,376 (RADEON 9800 XT) vs 192 (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra). Raw compute: 51.48 TFLOPS (RADEON 9800 XT) vs 0.6912 TFLOPS (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra).

FeatureRADEON 9800 XTGeForce FX 5950 Ultra
G3D Mark Score
57
59+4%
Architecture
RDNA 3.0
Rankine
Process Node
5 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
5376+2700%
192
Compute (TFLOPS)
51.48 TFLOPS+7348%
0.6912 TFLOPS
ROPs
192+700%
24
TMUs
336+950%
32
L1 Cache
3 MB+1100%
0.25 MB
L2 Cache
6 MB+1479%
0.38 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRADEON 9800 XTGeForce FX 5950 Ultra
Upscaling Tech
FSR 1.0 (Software)
FSR 1.0 (Software)
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
AMD Anti-Lag
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 256 MB of GDDR5. Bus width: 64-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 6 MB (RADEON 9800 XT) vs 0.38 MB (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) — the RADEON 9800 XT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureRADEON 9800 XTGeForce FX 5950 Ultra
VRAM Capacity
0.25 GB
0.25 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
6 MB+1479%
0.38 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 9_0 (RADEON 9800 XT) vs 9.0a (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

FeatureRADEON 9800 XTGeForce FX 5950 Ultra
DirectX
9_0
9.0a
Max Displays
2
2
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The RADEON 9800 XT draws 300W versus the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra's 116W — a 88.5% difference. The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (RADEON 9800 XT) vs 350W (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra). Power connectors: Legacy vs Legacy. Card length: 180mm vs 229mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots.

FeatureRADEON 9800 XTGeForce FX 5950 Ultra
TDP
300W
116W-61%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
Legacy
Legacy
Length
180mm
229mm
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
0.2
0.5+150%
💰

Value Analysis

The RADEON 9800 XT launched at $499 MSRP and currently averages $30, while the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra launched at $0 and now averages $0. The GeForce FX 5950 Ultra costs 100+% less ($30 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 1.9 (RADEON 9800 XT) vs Infinity (GeForce FX 5950 Ultra) — the GeForce FX 5950 Ultra offers Infinity% better value. The RADEON 9800 XT is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2011).

FeatureRADEON 9800 XTGeForce FX 5950 Ultra
MSRP
$499
$0-100%
Avg Price (30d)
$30
$0-100%
Performance per Dollar
1.9
Infinity
Codename
Navi 31
GF116
Release
November 3 2022
March 15 2011
Ranking
#21
#761
RADEON 9800 XT vs GeForce FX 5950 Ultra